Othello police take threat of local violence seriously
Othello Police Chief Phil Schenck.
OTHELLO — They hope a cop attack never happens, but Othello Police Department leadership and officers have added officer ambush response to their training schedule.
So far attacks on cops, which are spiking nationally this year, have occurred in larger communities. As of three weeks ago, there were 39 police officers gunned down this year. That was the number for all of last year.
The odds of an attack on police occurring in a small town are probably small but, according to Othello Police Chief Phil Schenck, the possibility is on his and his officers’ minds.
“We are constantly training,” he said.
Police officers go out on calls prepared for the threat of violence, as they always have. They face and subdue any fears they may have, but it’s not easy.
“We have a tendency to have heart attacks sooner than most people,” Schenck said.
Schenck credits that fact to a high daily stress level. A degree of anxiety accompanies most, if not all, calls.
Schenck has been in law enforcement 27 years, the first 25 in his native Sunnyside. Police are needed and, thankfully, he said, some men and women answer the call. More than that, they want to serve.
“We give our blood, sweat and tears to our communities,” Schenck said.
One of the more recent attacks on police happened in San Diego. One officer was killed. One was injured. The most noted attacks occurred in Dallas and Baton Rouge earlier.
All three attacks were ambushes. In Dallas, police were protecting protesters. In Baton Rouge, they were responding to a call for help. In San Diego, they were making a traffic stop.
“It hits home (with every officer),” Schenck said. “Those are my brothers and sisters.”
According to Schenck, most calls cause some rise in adrenaline. Some, in which violence is a possibility, cause an adrenaline rush.
“You learn to control the rush,” he said.
As soon as an officer heads to a violence-probable call – robbery, burglary, shooting, domestic quarrel – the first thing the officer attempts to ascertain is the identity and location of the bad guy, or gal.
“Am I going to get shot?” is a constant question when officers respond.
“I’ve had my gun out many times (while responding),” Schenck said.
Police officers have to be that ready at times. Once, when he was attacked, Schenck’s gun was holstered, and the assailant was too close for him to get his gun out.
Schenck noted it would be wrong to think all threats come from men. Females, especially those affiliated with gangs, will attack too.
“I’ve been in some horrible fights with women,” he said.
The good news is that the percentage of a community that presents threats is small. The bad news is that you often don’t recognize the threat until after the attack has occurred.
So officer training includes community policing. Police are instructed on how to make friends with and of the public. The goal is to get ahead of trouble.
A secondary goal is to erase misconceptions about police. They are not out to “get” anyone.
“I’ve never given a ticket for a broken tail light,” Schenck said.
Another myth is that officers stop Hispanics because they are Hispanic or blacks because they are black. It’s a claim some Hispanics in Othello and Sunnyside have made, and Schenck has heard his share.
“They’ve even said it when they’ve been stopped by Hispanic officers,” he said.
The persons Schenck said police will contact while on patrol are those who appear to be out of place. If an “out-of-place” person makes “furtive” movements, then contact will likely occur.
“It’s not a stop. It’s not an arrest,” Schenck said. “It’s more like how are you doing? Are you from around here?”
Schenck believes nearly all, if not all, police shootings of suspects occur because the suspect has become combative to the point of committing or threatening violence.
“We don’t want to be hurt, and we don’t want somebody we stop to be hurt,” Schenck said.
The key during a traffic stop is cooperation. All the person needs to do is follow the officer’s directions – be courteous, be friendly and be cooperative.
One reason Schenck wanted to work in Othello is its demographics. He grew up and worked in Sunnyside during the years it became a predominantly Hispanic town. His children have been the lone “white” in some of their classes.
When Schenck made special breakfasts for his kids on Sunday, they always wanted chorizo con huevos.
“My best friend growing up was Hispanic,” he said.
That friend’s aunt operated a bakery.
“She made the best empanadas – pumpkin,” Schenck said.
Schenck is more than familiar with the farm worker life. He grew up cutting asparagus and picking cherries and other fruits.
“I hated peaches the most,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Although it sometimes seems as if being a cop is a thankless job, it has its rewards, Schenck said. Cops often receive thanks from the public, particularly on social media sites, which are now a big part of community policing.
“We’re blessed,” Schenck said. “We work in a small town, where we have strong support from the community.”
But, police ambushes could happen here too.
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